Wilson's Simcox to be a Maine man

Cody Simcox says he used to ask running backs coach Bill Haas and the other football coaches at Wilson to give him a shot in the backfield.

"They never took me seriously," said Simcox.

The coaches at the University of Maine did.

They plan to utilize the 6-2, 228-pound Simcox at fullback after he accepted their offer to play for the Division I-AA Bears last week.

Simcox was a two-way all-league pick for the Bulldogs, at linebacker and at tight end, though he was mostly known as a defensive player.

He was named Linebacker of the Year in Section I of the Lancaster-Lebanon League as a senior and was a two-time all-league pick at that spot.

He was rarely thrown to at Wilson; he had just six receptions last season. He earned his reputation on that side of the ball as a blocker, helping the Section 1 champion Bulldogs rush for more than 275 yards per game.

Maine's coaches think Simcox can make the transition to fullback, where he'll be able to block and use his pass receiving skills.

"I've never tried it before, never even thought about trying it (at this level)," Simcox said. "I told them I'll play anywhere you want me to play. As long as I'm playing I don't care where it is."

Simcox said it's possible that he'll be shifted back to defense, at end or linebacker, after his freshman season, but for now the Bears staff wants him in the backfield.

Simcox said he hadn't heard from Maine until late January. They invited him for a visit to the Orono campus just before national signing day. He officially committed Friday.

"They just came out of the blue," Simcox said of the offer.

He said he also had interest from Akron and Kent State, as well as some smaller schools.

"Maine plays in a really good conference, and that's what I like," Simcox said of the Colonial Athletic Conference, which includes top national programs such as Villanova, Delaware and William & Mary.

"I wanted to go to a good conference, and that was a big part of my decision," he said.

Simcox was an All-Berks pick at linebacker and an All-State Class AAAA second-team selection.

He joins Wilson teammate Zach Zweizig, who is going to Lafayette, as one of six Berks players committed to a Division I program.